


Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

by recordmachined



Category: Muse (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Spy, Burn Notice - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-11-12
Packaged: 2018-04-27 00:07:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5025979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/recordmachined/pseuds/recordmachined
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"My name is Dominic Howard. I used to be a spy until..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Cross posted on LiveJournal.
> 
> This is shamelessly inspired by Burn Notice, which used to be my favourite TV show a couple of years ago. This is not Bond-esque but it is something different. Hope you folks like it.

The mid-morning sun was shinning brightly through the blinds when Dominic woke up to the sound of pleasant humming coming from a general direction. He cracked open an eye and winced when it sent a dull ache through his head. His hand involuntarily reached up, massaging a bump on the back of his head. He could feel other bruises over his body and he was pretty sure a few of his ribs were broken. He coughed as he sat up straighter on the bed.

“Where am I?” He asked at large, surveying the cheap motel room.

The humming stopped. “Los Angeles,” came the reply in a vaguely familiar voice.

Dominic frowned, turning towards the source of the voice and rubbing his eyes for his vision to clear, which widened with surprise when his gaze landed on the figure perched on an armchair a few feet from the bed. Almost immediately an unexpected tingle ran down his spine.

“How... What...” He rasped, unable to find the words. He cleared his throat. “What are you doing here?”

Matthew snickered, his striking blue eyes peering at Dominic with amusement. “You really need to take me off as your emergency contact, darling.”

“What?” Dominic scrunched up his eyes in confusion, rubbing the bump on his head, which was starting to throb.

“Can’t you remember?” Matthew asked, his lips quirking into a smirk. “Then again, you were hit pretty hard on the head,” he added as he stood up and flung himself on the bed beside Dominic.

Dominic gave him a last puzzled glance before his eyes widened as it all came flooding back.

“Oh, bollocks,” he said, his expression pale. “I’ve been burned.”

~

Dominic sat slumped against the cheap leather of a nearby diner that Matthew had dragged him to, clicking away on his phone. He sighed in frustration and slammed the device on the table, which was rapidly running out of battery. All his bank accounts were either frozen or completely wiped, his MI-5 contact was unreachable, and he had no idea how he had gotten from running an op in Morocco to getting dumped in LA. All he could remember was being cornered by a couple of men in dark suits who had told him that he’d been blacklisted before everything went black.

“Do you have access to a satphone?” he asked Matthew, who merely raised an eyebrow. “Of course you do. I need to use it.”

“As I recall, I was summoned very early this morning to pick up your arse from the airport, and I haven’t gotten anything to eat since then. I’m making you wait.”

So, as Matthew was contentedly enjoying a plate of fried eggs, bacon and toast, Dominic sat rather impatiently sipping on a cup of coffee. They sat in silence until Dominic’s stomach growled hungrily. He reached across the table and grabbed a piece of bacon from Matthew’s plate.

“Why don’t you just order some for yourself?”

Dominic shrugged. “I’ve got no cash.”

“Oh, fuck’s sake.” Matthew waved down the waitress and ordered a plate for him. “You’re an absolute shit sometimes.”

Dominic smiled, despite himself as he munched on the bacon. “That’s rich coming from you.” 

Matthew narrowed his eyes at the other man, but there was a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

“What are you doing in LA?” Dominic asked when their plates had been cleared and coffee cups were refilled.

Matthew shrugged. “I needed a change of scenery.”

“So you came to LA?”

“Business is booming here.”

Dominic frowned. “What kind of business? Not your old--”

“This isn’t the best place to talk,” Matthew interrupted. “If you haven’t noticed, there’s an unmarked car parked right outside and I don’t think they’re after me.”

Dominic peered outside through the blinds, and sure enough, there was a black SUV with tinted windows parked across the road. “That strangely looks like the FBI,” he thought out aloud and met Matthew’s quirked eyebrow. “Are you fucking kidding me? I get burned from MI-5 and now they’ve sent the FBI to sit on me? What the bloody hell is going on?”

“Damned if I know,” said Matthew, dropping some money on the table before sliding out of the booth. “Let’s go back to my place.”

“Wouldn’t they just follow us there?” Dominic asked, following him outside.

“C’mon, darling, give me some credit. I know how to lose a tail. It’s like you don’t know me at all,” Matthew added pointedly.

“Not now, Matthew.”

Matthew winked at Dominic before beckoning him towards his car.

Dominic rolled his eyes and slid into the passenger seat of Matthew’s Mustang, wondering what new hell he had gotten himself into.

~

Matthew drove them back to his upscale, seafront apartment and, true to his word, he had easily managed to evade the FBI lackeys. Not that Dominic had any doubts over Matthew’s expertise. Apart from his questionable profession, he was spectacularly shrewd and resourceful. Not to mention extremely skilled in combat, in spite of being a man of a rather small stature.

Matthew parked the car in front of a single story apartment complex. The surrounding area was rather spacious as opposed to the cramped buildings in the heart of the city. They stepped out of the car and Matthew led Dominic up a metal staircase that ran at the side of the building to a blue metal door. He fished keys out of his pocket, unlocked the door and stepped inside his apartment, beckoning Dominic to follow.

“How did you manage to snag this place?” Dominic asked, his eyes scanning the expansive, yet cozy and rather tastefully furnished apartment. “Up to your usual shenanigans?”

Matthew huffed a small laugh, closing the door behind Dominic and latching it shut. “Did you expect me give it all up?” Dominic remained silent, ignoring the jibe. “Well, if you must know, I only deal weapons as a side job now. I recover tossers who jump their bail for people who are willing to pay a lot of money. Unofficially, of course.”

“A bounty hunter. That’s reassuring,” Dominic muttered drily as he eased himself with a slight wince on the leather sofa that sat across large windows overlooking the ocean.

“I still earn more money than you ever did.” Matthew walked towards the fridge and grabbed two bottles of water. He joined Dominic on the sofa, handing him one. “Do your ribs need to be looked at?”

“I’ll live.” Dominic nodded his head in thanks, taking a sip from the bottle before setting it down on the floor. “So, about that satphone...”

Matthew rolled his eyes. “Straight to business. You haven’t changed at all, have you?”

“Would you like me any more if I did?”

“I suppose not. But don’t flatter yourself, darling.” Matthew stood up and walked over to a cabinet by the wall, and pulled out a briefcase from under it. He plucked out the satphone before tossing it to Dominic.

“Cheers,” said Dominic, dialing his handler’s number.

Twenty minutes later he was still slumped on the sofa, rubbing his palms over his face in exasperation. The bump on his head that was starting to throb harder as the day went on. 

The conversation with his handler, Tom, had not been very enlightening. Tom was as perplexed as he was, and could only confirm that Dominic had indeed been blacklisted with all of his career history completely wiped. He was to remain in LA indefinitely, and any attempt to leave would result in an arrest.

Since any contact with him from the bureau was to be cut off, Dominic had ended the call, not wanting Tom to get into any trouble.

“What the fuck am I gonna do!” He groaned out load.

“That’s a first one.” Dominic grimaced. Matthew, who had momentarily disappeared during his phone call, now returned, holding two bottles of beer. “You always know what to do.”

“First time for everything, eh?” Dominic said resignedly. He accepted the bottle, gulping down nearly half of it.

“Slow down, darling. Don’t want you passing out.”

“I think passing out would be very welcome right now.”

“Come now, surely you’ve been in tougher spots than this. _We’ve_ been tougher spots than this.”

“Yes, indeed. But my accounts weren’t frozen back then. I can’t leave LA and there’s nobody else that I know here.” Dominic sighed heavily, the corners of his mouth turning down ever so slightly. 

“Dominic, are you pouting?”

“Am not.”

“Oh, piss off. And don’t you dare try to work me like that.”

“I am doing no such thing,” Dominic replied, looking at Matthew from under his lashes and keeping his voice as convincingly sincere as possible. He knew Matthew wouldn’t really throw him out on the street. But it didn’t hurt to turn the antics up a notch. “I’m just saying, I have absolutely nowhere else to go.”

“You know, I could kick you to the curb and not lose sleep over it at all,” Matthew narrowed his eyes at him.

“But you wouldn’t now, would you?”

“I can’t believe I’m doing this again,” Matthew sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “All right, but you’re not sleeping on my couch.” Dominic raised his eyebrows. “Oh, you wish,” Matthew added with smirk. “I have an extra mattress and on the floor you go.”

Dominic could remember having slept on things much worse than a mattress on the floor. “Cheers, Matt,” he grinned and unexpectedly leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on Matthew’s cheek before getting up. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m gonna use your shower,” he called behind him, leaving Matthew staring after him.

~

“I’ll need a job,” Dominic stated later that evening when Matthew led them to a nearby cafe. “And no, I’m not going to sell weapons to potential troublemakers,” he added quickly.

“Always with chivalry,” Matthew teased. “There’s money in it.”

“Don’t care.”

“I suppose bounty hunting is also out of option.”

“I would’ve taken it, but I have a security detail on me. Can’t risk it with the FBI sniffing around.”

“Yeah, why are they sniffing around?”

“I’m not sure, but if they are keeping an eye on me then there is something bigger at play. You ought to be careful with your side business. Now that they’ve seen you with me, they probably have you listed as a known associate.”

Matthew rolled eyes. “Nice try, but you can’t possibly convince me to quit with that.”

“Almost worked the last time.”

“Yeah, well, there was a lot more at stake last time.”

Dominic sighed. “Now isn’t the time, Matthew.”

“There is never a right time for you, is there?” Matthew’s voice, which had been lighthearted for the most part, turned slightly bitter.

Dominic chewed on his lower lip. He knew they had to speak about it at some point. He had tried and failed to remain unaffected by Matthew’s apparent pain and now that they had reconnected once again, Dominic found all of his defenses rapidly crumbling. But he knew they had to talk it out before he did something impulsive like the last time.

“How about dinner?” He suggested. He knew now wasn’t the time to try and mend broken fences. All he knew was that he was going to be stuck in LA for a while and being around Matthew always muddled his thought process. Matthew was the only one who had gotten under his skin and had carved out a place for himself.

“Dinner?”

“Let’s find me a job, then I’ll take you out to dinner and we’ll talk. Please,” he implored when Matthew looked unconvinced.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Matthew replied with a slight nod after a few moments of silence.

Dominic flashed him a bright smile. “Now, about the job...”


	2. Chapter 2

“When I said ‘find me a job’, I didn’t mean this,” Dominic complained. 

“You don’t exactly have a resume right now, and there aren’t many career options that I can give to a man with your expertise,” Matthew said, speaking sideways whilst keeping an eye on the road. They were driving through afternoon traffic, making their way back to Matthew’s apartment after meeting with a potential ‘client’.

Dominic groaned in frustration, knowing Matthew was right. 

Three days after Dominic had arrived in LA, Matthew had gotten a call from his friend, Morgan, who owned a car shop in the slightly seedier part of the city. Morgan had been tricked and eventually blackmailed into ‘cleaning’ stolen cars by switching the license plates, registration and VIN numbers. Now, with his life being threatened by the car thieves, he’d called Matthew for help.

“Look, Morgan is a good guy,” Matthew explained, effortlessly wading through traffic at a speed much higher than the speed limit. “He’s not your average mechanic; he’s a genius technician. He wants to expand his business and move to better areas in the city. But he can’t with gangsters on his back.”

“Why didn’t he just go to the cops in the first place?” Dominic asked.

“He thought it was a one time thing and he’d needed the money.” Matthew veered off the main road and drove the Mustang through slightly narrower streets, leading up to his apartment building.

They drove in silence until Matthew pulled up in front of his building. He parked the car and turned to face Dominic. “The police are not gonna help Morgan. He needs someone like us, who can work around the law,” he stated. “And I could use your help. Don’t look so surprised,” he added with a huff when Dominic stared at him, wide-eyed. “You may be a lot of things, Dom, but you’re good at what you do. Besides, Morgan is ready to pay you. It’s not a lot of money, but it’s a start. Enough to pay for our date.”

Matthew had shifted closer to Dominic, those last few words leaving his mouth in a low voice. Dominic caught Matthew’s intense blue stare, feeling his body go hot. His own grey eyes dropped to Matthew’s mouth when a pink tongue peaked out, swiping across the thin lower lip. Matthew had inched closer, their faces mere inches apart.

Dominic could feel a blush rising from the back of his neck. He knew exactly what Matthew was doing, and it took all the willpower that he could muster to not give in and close the gap between them. As much as he wanted this, wanting to hold Matthew again after nearly two years of separation, he had to resist. At least for now.

“How about we continue this later? After the date,” he said, leaning away and stepping out of the car.

Matthew sighed, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly and Dominic nearly relented. But there was a hint of a smile playing on Matthew’s lips as he got out of the car, locking it behind him. “As you wish. You don’t know what you’re missing until then, darling.”

“Oh, I do,” Dominic replied with surprising seriousness.

Matthew’s grin widened as they climbed up the metal stairs and into the apartment.

~

“So what’s the plan then?” Matthew asked later that night. He had gotten off the phone with Morgan, informing him that he and Dominic were ready to do everything that they can to help him. Morgan had been delighted, offering to pay more and fix Matthew’s car for free thereon. “Should we just shoot them and get it over with?”

“No, absolutely not,” Dominic said quickly, shaking his head.

“Don’t tell me you’ve gone all soft now.”

“I have not. Too many bodies and it will raise too many questions.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

Dominic pondered, pacing the floor as Matthew sat, lounging on the sofa. “We could scare them into leaving town,” Dominic proposed after a few minutes of silence.

Matthew hummed thoughtfully. “We could do that...”

“We’ll need covers,” Dominic continued, his mind working instinctively. “We could go in as even more dangerous thieves who seek out Morgan for similar reasons like cleaning up stolen cars...”

“... And we don’t want any competition, nor do we want Morgan wasting his time on a mediocre crew,” Matthew piped in, snapping his fingers.

“Exactly,” Dominic agreed, his nerves beginning to tingle with mild excitement. “We’ll need to be convincing as a local crew. How good is your accent?”

“Darling, please,” Matthew drawled in a perfect American accent. “Don’t you go underestimating me.”

“All right, all right,” Dominic grinned. “There’s one more thing...” He trailed off, eyeing Matthew carefully. “I need guns and we might need some mild explosives.”

“Oh, Dominic, now you’re talking,” Matthew almost crooned, his lips stretching into a smirk.

“Nothing extreme,” Dominic warned him before Mathew’s imagination ran wild. “We will have to improvise as we go.”

“Sure, of course,” Matthew nodded but the smirk was still etched across his face. “Leave it to me. I can get you Walthers and we should be able to whip some explosive charges ourselves. I know someone who can help with the supplies... In fact, he may be willing to help us out with the whole thing since Morgan is his mate too.”

“Not a bad idea, seeing as we’ll probably need another pair of hands.” Dominic was interrupted when his phone rang. Frowning, he pulled it out of his pocket. His frowned deepened when the screen flashed with a blocked number. Briefly, his gaze met Matthew’s before he hit answer and pressed the phone to his ear. “Yes?”

There was brief pause before he could hear soft breathing. “We are terribly sorry for not having called sooner,” said a woman’s voice with a hint of a sneer.

“I was beginning to think you had forgotten all about me,” Dominic responded effortlessly, keeping his voice calm and detached even though he didn’t have the slightest clue as to who it was on the other end.

“We would never forget about you, Dominic.” The woman sounded affronted, but Dominic knew it was all an act. “After all, you are a valuable asset.”

“Why have you called me,... I’m sorry, you didn’t mention your name.”

“We are not in the habit of giving names, but I’ll make an exception. You can call me Susie.”

Susie spoke with an American accent, and this had been the third time she had used ‘we’. Dominic hadn't missed it. “Why have you called me, Susie?”

“We have information on your burn notice.”

Dominic inhaled sharply but willed himself to remain calm. “Who is we?”

“People who are interested in you. In your work.”

“You’re not MI-5,” Dominic remarked. “Are you CIA?”

“CIA is too conventional. We are much more covert.”

“I take it this information that you have is not free of cost,” Dominic commented, without missing a beat. He had walked away from the sofa and was now standing in front of the windows, staring into the dark horizon.

“That’s the way business works, Dominic,” Susie said with a giggle. “We have information, answers perhaps, which you want. Naturally, we want something in return.”

“And what’s that?”

“Let’s not rush into all of that right now. We want to offer you a deal.”

“I need proof that you have genuine information. How can I trust you?”

“You can’t,” said Susie, plainly. “It’s your decision.”

Dominic bit his lower lip in contemplation. If he were to agree, he was aware that it would be extremely difficult to back out of it later. But what choice did he have? He had no other source, no other contact. And he _needed_ answers.

“Fine.”

“We’ll be in touch.” With that, Susie disconnected the call.

Dominic’s hand returned to his side and he stood unmoving by the windows.

“What was that all about?” Matthew’s voice broke through his thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, Dominic turned to face the other man. From his expression, Dominic could tell that Matthew knew very well what the call had been about and he wasn’t happy in the least.

~

Dominic’s mind had been preoccupied with the call he had received from Susie. He knew that it would be futile to try and trace the number. All he could do was wait until they called again. And he could sense that Matthew was becoming increasingly impatient. He had explained the details to Matthew and Matthew had not been convinced.

“So you just decided to make a deal with them? You have no idea who they even are!”

“What else was I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know...” Matthew trailed off. “Maybe wait until your MI-5 handler has some information. I’m sure something somewhere will turn up.”

“I can’t keep waiting for answers, Matt. I have to do something about this on my own.”

“You’ve got me,” Matthew said as he got up from the sofa to stand in front of Dominic. “Remember I mentioned a guy who might help us out with Morgan’s situation? His name is Chris and he’s ex-military. I’m sure he knows people in the CIA.”

“I doubt if the CIA want anything to do with this. Then again, if they _are_ involved, they will deny everything. Your friend will be in trouble by just mentioning my name.” Dominic sighed in frustration, running his fingers through his hair. “I don’t like this any more than you do, Matt. I didn’t ask for any of this to happen.” He stepped closer to Matthew, reaching out and tracing his fingers across his cheek. “But I’m glad you are here. So, will you trust me this time?”

“Oh, all right,” Matthew caught Dominic’s hand in his. “Promise me that you’ll be careful.”

“I promise.”

“Now let’s get back to work. You have a job to do.”

~

Matthew had managed to pull pictures and other information on the car thieves, and Dominic had spent two days tailing them, jotting down their whereabouts. As he pulled up in front of the apartment in Matthew’s Mustang after another day of shadowing, he spotted another car parked there. He realized it was probably Chris and sure enough, he saw Matthew and the other man standing over the dining table when he entered.

“These are for you,” Matthew pushed two Walther PPKs towards Dominic as he approached the table.

Dominic nodded his head in thanks. “You must be Chris,” he addressed the other man, extending his hand.

“Dominic,” Chris said with a curt nod, shaking his hand. “Good of you to help Morgan. Matthew and I could’ve managed it on our own, but I’m only the muscle and Matthew here only ever likes to go in guns blazing. We could definitely use some brains this time.”

“My way is quick and easy,” Matthew said, mildly offended. “What’s wrong in that?”

“Nothing at all,” Dominic teased. “Unless you want to end up in prison. Killing people usually creates more problems rather than solving it.”

“Anyway,” Matthew deflected with a roll of his eyes, “what did you find out?”

“The gang leader, Caleb, is pretty much who we have to deal with,” Dominic explained. “He calls the shots and the others are just his lackeys. If we manage to ruffle his feathers enough, the others would scatter as well.”

“Sounds good. I was briefing Chris about our plan and he actually has a whacky idea.”

Dominic turned to face Chris. “Let’s hear it.”

“Caleb is a car thief, right? What kind of car does he drive?”

“A red Pontiac.”

Chris laughed. “This is gonna be fucking fun. How does a tin full of thermite sound to you?”

“Are you serious?” Dominic asked, knowing exactly what that entailed.

“Deadly,” replied Matthew. “It’ll be worth seeing the look on that arsehole’s face.”

Dominic looked from Matthew to Chris, both looking at him with matching glints in their eyes. His lips twitched into a smirk. “Let’s fucking do it. If anything, it’ll put on a pretty good show.”


	3. Chapter 3

Standing in front of the mirror, Dominic buttoned his cuffs and ran his fingers through his hair, roughly setting it in place. He was clad in black trousers and a white shirt with the top buttons undone, which revealed a silver chain around his neck. He shrugged into a black blazer before regarding his reflection.  
  
“Ready to go?” Matthew asked. He was leaning against the doorway, dressed in an identical outfit.  
  
Dominic nodded. He grabbed his guns, tucking one in the waistband of his trousers and the other in the inside pocket of his blazer, before following Matthew outside. Both men slipped on black sunglasses as they made their way down the metal stairs, towards the Mustang, looking every bit of the sharply dressed gang that they were supposed to be.  
  
“Chris went by that tiny club Caleb owns last night and managed to plant a tracking device in his car,” Matthew told Dominic.  
  
“That’ll make things easier. Is it safe to use your Mustang for this?”  
  
“I got Morgan to switch the license plate, so even if Caleb or anyone else runs it through the system, they won’t find a thing.”  
  
Dominic grinned and got into the passenger seat. In spite of being in the field for years and having been assigned operations a lot more dangerous and complicated than this, his nerves were tingling with excitement. In the past, he had never really used his skills for someone other than the bureau. Also, teaming up with Matthew again awakened a feeling of exhilaration within him.  
  
When Dominic had first met Matthew roughly three and a half years ago, he had been undercover. He was tasked with manipulating Matthew for information he had required for an assignment. Instead, he blew his cover, ended up sleeping with Matthew and still managed to get the job done with the other man’s help. That had marked the beginning of their rather explosive relationship, which had lasted for a year.  
  
“You seem miles away,” Matthew observed. “What’s on your mind?”  
  
“Nothing,” Dominic lied.  
  
“If you say so,” said Matthew, not believing him for a second.  
  
They drove into town and picked up Chris from an underground parking lot that had no security cameras. Chris was wearing the same black and white suit, complete with the silver chain and sunglasses, and was carrying a black duffel bag that he tossed in the backseat of the car before getting in himself. He gave Matthew Caleb’s location as they drove out of the parking lot and towards a less glitzy and less crowded part of the city.  
  
“There he is,” Dominic pointed as they approached the Pontiac, which had stopped at an intersection. “Any cameras?”  
  
“None,” answered Matthew. “We better make this quick.” He swiftly pulled up next to Caleb’s car. The windows of the Pontiac were down, obnoxious hiphop music blaring through the speakers.   
  
Dominic leaned forward through his passenger seat window. “Nice ride,” he drawled in a deep voice, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a fake grin. Caleb glanced at him with raised eyebrows and bobbed his head, flashing a self-important snicker. “It’s a shame really,” continued Dominic and within the blink of an eye, he set off a pepper gas grenade that Chris had handed to him from the duffel bag, and chucked it through the open driver’s seat window of the Pontiac.  
  
As the grenade smoked, shock and panic erupted inside the car. Dominic opened the passenger door and jammed it against the Pontiac, effectively trapping Caleb inside. He pulled out his gun and pointed it at Caleb, so that the man wouldn’t get ideas of pulling out a weapon of his own. One of the others in the Pontiac had managed to toss the grenade outside, but it had already taken its effects. The car thieves were choking and coughing, tears running down their bloodshot eyes.  
  
Whilst Dominic held them at gunpoint, Chris got off and walked up to the tires, shooting all four with a shotgun.  
  
“What the fuck, man?!” Caleb screamed, gaping at him with his mouth flapping like a dead fish.  
  
“Now listen up,” announced Dominic as he waved his gun to get Caleb’s attention. “It’s time for you to leave town.”  
  
“Fuck you, man!” Caleb spat, his face turning red with rage. “I’m gonna kill you, you motherfucker!”  
  
“Good luck finding me without your car,” Dominic replied, smiling with all his teeth.  
  
As Dominic spoke, Matthew walked in front of the Pontiac and placed a coffee tin, which was full of thermite, on the hood. He gave Caleb a shit-eating grin before lighting up the fuse with a lighter, and got back into the Mustang.  
  
“Think about what I said.” Dominic closed the door on his side before Matthew hit the accelerator, and they drove off whilst the coffee tin flamed up and sank through the hood, burning a hole through the engine block.  
  
~  
  
Matthew was having a hard time controlling his laughter as they relayed the day’s events to Morgan that night.  
  
“You did what to his car?!” Morgan asked in astonishment.  
  
“Burnt a fucking hole through it,” Chris stated, setting off Matthew into another fit of giggles.  
  
“But now he’s gonna come after you.” Morgan looked concerned.  
  
Dominic smiled. “Better than him coming after you.”   
  
“What are you guys doing next?” Morgan asked looking from Dominic to Matthew.  
  
“Caleb owns a small club where him and most of his crew hang out. I’m sure they are going to gather up there and they will be agitated after today. So we are going to strike them right where they think they are safe.”  
  
“Strike them how?”  
  
“Leave that to us,” Matthew replied. “We also think you should stay low for the time being. It’s unlikely that Caleb would come after you, but we can never be too sure. Is there someplace that you can go?”  
  
“He can stay with me,” Chris offered, but Morgan looked skeptical.  
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
“Of course. Besides, my ride needs some tinkering and you can teach my son a thing or two about cars while you’re there. And you,” Chris pointed at Dominic, “let me know when is step two.”  
  
“You bet,” nodded Dominic. “We’ll have to wait until the exact moment Caleb starts making plans to find us. He’ll be distracted and we should be able to catch him completely off guard again.”  
  
With that, Chris and Morgan bid the other two men goodnight.  
  
As Matthew closed the door behind them, Dominic took off his blazer. He stretched his arms and flexed his shoulders with a grunt. He unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his shirtsleeves. Feeling a pair of eyes watching him intently, he looked up to see Matthew regarding him with an eager smile.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Admit it, darling. Today was the most fun you have had in a long time.” Matthew walked up to Dominic, entwining his arms around his neck.  
  
Dominic huffed a laugh and placed his hands on Matthew’s waist. “Fine,” he rolled his eyes, “today was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.” And it was the truth.   
  
Dominic couldn't remember the last time when a job had been this enjoyable, even though they were doing questionable things. Besides, neither him nor Matthew had a strict moral compass. Matthew had mentioned that Chris tended to keep him in line, never stepping outside the law. But when it involved friends and jerks like Caleb, Chris didn’t mind getting his hands a little dirty.  
  
“I was thinking,” whispered Matthew, pressing closer to Dominic. “Fuck dinner. Let’s just get to business.”  
  
Dominic cocked his head to one side. He looked deep into Matthew’s sparkling blue eyes. “Do you really want to?” He asked seriously. “After everything that happened?”  
  
Matthew sighed. He dipped his head forward and rested it against Dominic’s shoulder, then brought one arm around Dominic’s back, embracing him properly for the first time since he had come to LA. “You made your decisions, Dom, and I made mine. I promised myself that I would try again when...  _if_  I ever saw you once more.”  
  
“I thought you hated me,” mumbled Dominic. He wound his arms around the smaller man’s back, returning the embrace. His heart was beginning to beat faster with every passing second.  
  
“I hated you  _that_  night. The night you made your intentions very clear. The night you left.” With every word he uttered, an involuntary shudder ran through Matthew’s body. “But I could never hate you forever.”  
  
Warmth bloomed in Dominic’s chest at Matthew’s confession. “It wasn’t like that, Matt,” he argued. He pulled away, holding the other man at arms length. “You  _know_  it wasn’t like that.”  
  
“You still left.”  
  
“I had my job to do.”  
  
“Yeah, well...” Matthew trailed off, looking away.  
  
“Did you really think that after all our time together I didn’t care about you?”  
  
Matthew shrugged and bit his lip hesitantly. “Well...”  
  
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Dominic exclaimed, cupping Matthew’s face and pressing their lips together. A surprised gasp left Matthew’s mouth, but he quickly returned the kiss, melting into it.  
  
Dominic sighed into the kiss as he wrapped one arm around Matthew’s waist, and rested it against the small of his back. He gently caressed the back of Matthew’s neck with his fingers as he deepened the kiss. His lips parted and he softly licked Matthew’s lower lip, drawing out a moan.  
  
Matthew willingly parted his lips and let their tongues entwine wetly. His hands had fallen to Dominic’s waist, fisting handfuls of his shirt. He pressed closer in an effort to eliminate any remaining distance between them whilst slyly pulling out Dominic’s shirt from the waistband of his trousers.  
  
Dominic smiled into the kiss, letting himself enjoy the moment. It was pointless trying to resist Matthew when he’d wanted this just as much. And the thought of Matthew doubting his affections was unacceptable.  
  
They pulled apart, breathing heavily into each other’s mouths. Their foreheads remained close as their breaths calmed. Matthew, who had managed to untuck Dominic’s shirt, slipped his hands underneath, wanting to feel Dominic’s skin under his palms. Moaning at the touch, Dominic’s head fell backwards, exposing the smooth column of his neck. Matthew wasted no time and latched onto it, kissing and biting the soft, heated skin.  
  
“Fuck, Matthew,” Dominic gasped.  
  
“I’ve missed this, darling,” Matthew murmured against his neck. “I’ve fucking missed this.”  
  
“You and me both.”  
  
When Matthew’s mouth found a particularly sensitive spot, Dominic hissed out loud, his hips jerking against Matthew’s. Matthew pulled away, meeting Dominic’s gaze with wide eyes. Gently, he thrust his hips forward, brushing their hardening trousers together.  
  
The moment was regrettably broken when Dominic’s phone rang. Matthew groaned in frustration, but didn’t release his grip on Dominic.  
  
“Don’t answer it, please.”  
  
Dominic reluctantly pulled away, cursing under his breath. “I’m sorry, Matt. I have to.” He knew Matthew would never forgive him for this.  
  
He answered the call anyway and as expected, it was Susie. The call didn’t last long; Susie informed him that he was to arrive at a certain destination in a few days, from where he would be picked up and briefed for an operation. She refused to elaborate further, and simply stated that they needed Dominic’s expertise to gather information on someone.  
  
“What if I refuse?” Dominic asked Susie.  
  
“That will be very unfortunate, Dominic, since you are an extremely important asset. We will simply be forced to find a way to persuade you.”  
  
“Persuade me?”  
  
“We have noticed that you have made some friends since you arrived…” Susie said no more. She didn’t have to, since Dominic knew exactly what she was implying.  
  
“You’re resorting to blackmail? You must really need me then.”  
  
His voice was calm, but his mind was a torrent of emotions. He realised there was no way out of this and simply accepted his task. After disconnecting the call, he turned to face Matthew. Disappointment was etched across the other man’s face.  
  
Dominic knew that it was a small price to pay. He would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to Matthew and wanted him far away from all this. He opened his mouth to convey the very feeling, but Matthew held up his hand.  
  
“Don’t. Don’t give me excuses. Just do what you have to do.”  
  
“We’re not done, Matt. Please believe that.”  
  
Matthew gave him a sad smile. “I’d like to. More than anything. But your job has always come first for you, so don’t hold it against me if I don’t believe it.”  
  
With that Matthew turned around and walked into his room, closing the door behind him, leaving Dominic standing alone and a little disheartened.


	4. Chapter 4

A black SUV with tinted windows pulled up against the pavement. Two men dressed in dark suits got off and one of them held the backseat door open. Dominic noticed the gun holsters peaking from inside their blazers and wordlessly climbed into the backseat. His face was covered with a black cloth and his hands were cuffed before they drove off.  
  
“In case you get any ideas,” one of them muttered to Dominic, who rolled his eyes.  
  
Only after he was pushed onto a metal chair, after around twenty minutes, were the cloth and the handcuffs removed. As his eyes adjusted to the light hanging from the ceiling, he surveyed what seemed to be an interrogation room. The door opened and a pair of heels came clicking in. Presently, a smartly dressed woman with brown hair and a blank expression sat on the chair opposite to him.  
  
“Mr. Howard,” she said in a smooth voice.  
  
“Susie, I presume,” Dominic nodded and Susie merely pursed her lips in response.  
  
She slid a dossier across the table in front them. “This contains information that was used as evidence to issue your burn notice.”  
  
Dominic raised an eyebrow, inhaling sharply. “And you’re handing this to me so quickly?”  
  
“You might want to take a look at it before asking any questions.”  
  
Dominic eyed her curiously before opening the dossier. Five minutes later, he was still flipping through its contents in utter bewilderment. “This is absolute bollocks,” he exclaimed as he read about all the false accusations of him having been involved in illegal activities during his operations.  
  
“We suspect your file has been tampered with,” Susie stated plainly.  
  
“Tampered with would be an understatement,” Dominic muttered drily. “Entire operations have been added to this. Operations that I was never assigned. Whoever did this is high up in the ranks with tons of security clearance.”  
  
“We need you to find the person responsible.”  
  
Dominic narrowed his eyes. “What’s in it for you?”  
  
Susie remained silent before relaxing her posture. “I know you have every reason not to trust us. But we are, essentially, on the same side. Whoever did this has caused a lot of trouble for the CIA and MI-5, and we want them stopped.”  
  
“But you’re not the CIA or MI-5. And I’m sure there are people with higher security clearances who can track down this person.”  
  
“You underestimate yourself. Your reputation precedes you,” said Susie in a failed attempt to flatter Dominic, who simply huffed a laugh.  
  
“Basically, you want this operation to be off records. No authorization. No paperwork.”  
  
Susie shrugged.  
  
Dominic sighed. “So, I find this person. Then what?”  
  
“You give us their name and whereabouts, and we will take it from there.”  
  
“And what if I refuse?”  
  
Susie cocked her head to one side, regarding him keenly. “Do you really expect me to believe that you would refuse?”  
  
Dominic stared at her, knowing that she was right. Even if he  _could_  walk away from all of this, he needed to know who did this to him. Who was this person who pretty much ruined his career.  
  
~  
  
With the dossier clutched in his hand, Dominic got off the SUV that had picked him up, and began walking towards Matthew’s apartment. His morning had been interesting to say the least.  
  
Susie had given him no other information, no backup, simply the dossier as a lead. Which was actually more than enough for the time being, Dominic thought to himself. Tampered files usually contained pieces of evidence that could be traced back to the person who meddled with them. A closer inspection of the contents of the dossier was bound to uncover some information, he was sure of that.  
  
He climbed up the metal stairs and unlocked the door. Matthew and Chris were already dressed in their matching suits. Chris was packing his shotgun and a couple of explosives in his duffel bag.  
  
Matthew looked up as Dominic entered. “How did it go?” Dominic waved the dossier as a response. “What’s that?”  
  
“This is the load of bollocks that has been circulating amongst my superiors,” replied Dominic and he dropped the dossier on the table. “It’s no wonder that I got burned.”  
  
Matthew frowned. “False accusations?”  
  
Dominic hummed and relayed the events of that morning.  
  
“And they just gave the file to you?” Matthew asked, unconvinced.  
  
Dominic shrugged. “They want me to find whoever did this.”  
  
Matthew was about to open his mouth to argue, but he was interrupted by Chris. “I’m sure all this is very important, but we’re on the clock here. We better get going.”  
  
Dominic raked his fingers through his hair and nodded. “I’ll get changed,” he said, walking towards the bedroom. “I’ll meet you guys outside.”  
  
He pulled off his t-shirt and was getting out of his trousers when Matthew walked in. “So, you’re just gonna do what they tell you to do.”  
  
“Can we please not do this now?” Dominic said, mildly exasperated as he got dressed. “You can harangue me all you want later tonight,” he added whilst shrugging into his black blazer, before popping his sunglasses walking towards the door.  
  
Matthew’s nostrils flared, but he held his tongue and followed the other man outside.  
  
They joined Chris outside and got into the car before driving off towards the club that Caleb owned. The stunt with his Pontiac, although an important one, was obviously not enough to scare him into leaving town. They had to completely destroy Caleb and his gang’s morale, sending a message that any attempt to fight back was useless.  
  
Matthew pulled up against the pavement right opposite the club. The streets were mostly empty and luckily, there weren’t any security cameras outside the club that would have announced their arrival.  
  
Matthew opened the duffel bag and pulled out an explosive shape charge, small enough to contain the explosion, but big enough to blow a hole through a door. He climbed out of the car and started walking towards the alley that led to the back of the club, Chris and Dominic following closely. They reached the door to the emergency exit where Matthew placed the charge. He gave a small nod to other two to step back before setting it off.  
  
The door blew open with a loud bang.  
  
Chris took the lead, pointing his shotgun at the crew with Matthew at his heels. Dominic strutted in last as they walked up to the bar with their guns pointing at every member of the gang.  
  
“Well, well, well,” Dominic began, putting on his fake accent. “Seems like you didn’t hear me properly the first time,” he spoke directly to Caleb, who stood gaping.  
  
“Who the fuck are you, man?” he spat. “And what the fuck do you want?”  
  
“I am the one who’s taking over your job,” Dominic said, dramatically pointing at him. “And your little mechanic, what’s his name now....” he snapped his fingers.  
  
“Morgan or something,” Matthew supplied with a shrug.  
  
“That’s right, Morgan.”  
  
Caleb’s chest heaved angrily. “Man, you ain’t taking over nothing and that little piece of shit, I own him.”  
  
“See, that’s where you’re wrong, Caleb.” Dominic sat on one of the bar stools, pushing the bridge of his sunglasses with his middle finger. He reached over and grabbed three shot glasses, and a bottle of tequila. “We are trying to establish our business here and you’re in the way. I don’t like people who come in my way.”  
  
He opened the bottle and poured two glasses, offering one to Chris and one for himself. They clinked their glasses before downing the drink.  
  
“You’ve got forty-eight hours to leave town,” Dominic continued as he got off his stool and walked towards Matthew, who was standing at the end of the bar. “If you’re not gone by then, we’ll have to handle you personally, and trust me, you don’t want that.”  
  
Caleb didn’t look intimidated, so Dominic placed a glass in front of Matthew and poured him a drink. He let the tequila pour out even after Matthew had picked up the glass, emptying the entire bottle on the bar.  
  
“Remember, forty-eight hours,” he said, one last time before tossing the bottle away. “Oh, and your place is on fire.”  
  
When Caleb gave him a confused glare, Matthew, who had downed his drink, stepped forward and struck a match. He flicked it onto the bar, sending flames roaring into the air.  
  
They quickly escaped through the same way they came in as Caleb’s shouts floated through the fire.  
  
~  
  
“I like this personality of yours. It’s rather charming.” Matthew commented pointing, at Dominic’s ‘gang attire’ as they entered his apartment later that night, after having spent the evening at Chris’ with lots of beer and Chinese takeout. Chris had been in a particularly celebratory mood since he was sure that they had scared Caleb for good this time.  
  
“Always had a thing for bad boys, didn’t you?” Dominic said.  
  
“Not always, darling,” Matthew shrugged. “You’re a boy scout after all.”  
  
Dominic flashed him an unimpressed glare, but there was a small smile playing on his lips. He pulled off his blazer and reached for the dossier, which was still on table. He could hear Matthew sigh behind him, and braced himself for the inevitable conversation. When the other man remained silent, Dominic turned around, regarding him.  
  
“I know you want me to let this go, but it’s my entire life, Matt,” he began. “And I’ll be damned if I don’t find the guy who screwed me over,” he added with a touch of anger. “This is the best lead I’ve got and I’m taking it.”  
  
“Have you ever thought about starting over?” Matthew pondered out aloud, crossing his arms across his chest.  
  
Dominic paused, biting his lower lip thoughtfully.  
  
“We seem to be doing a good thing here, Dom,” the other man continued. “And Morgan’s not the only one who needs help from people like us. There’s gonna be loads more.”  
  
“I know that and this  _has_  been fun, but the work I did was important and I enjoyed it.”  
  
“Sure,” Matthew drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You enjoyed taking orders from people who sit on plush leather chairs while you’re driven to the ground out in the field, don’t you?”  
  
“Then what the bloody hell do you want me to do?” Dominic shouted, his temper rising. “There is no way I can win this conversation with you, can I? ‘Cos you’ve barely stopped acting selfish to even make an attempt to understand my situation.”  
  
Matthew glared. “I have to be selfish when it comes to you. Or else you’ll end up dead.”  
  
“Then so be it.”  
  
Dominic knew Matthew could move extremely fast, but he had apparently underestimated the other man. Within moments of those words leaving his mouth, Matthew had walked up to him and the next thing he knew there was punch landing squarely on his jaw.  
  
He had also forgotten how strong Matthew was, as he clutched his throbbing jaw and whipped around, staring at the other man with his eyes wide.  
  
“Don’t look at me like that,” Matthew chastised. “You deserved that.”  
  
Matthew reeled in to take another swing at him, but Dominic sidestepped him easily. Before they could do anymore damage, he grabbed Matthew’s arms and pushed him back until he had him pinned against the nearest wall. Matthew arched his back, trying to free himself from Dominic’s grasp, but Dominic only tightened his grip, jamming his arm against Matthew’s chest.  
  
“If you’re so worried about me,” Dominic growled, “then why not fucking help me?”  
  
“You need to ask for help,” Matthew hissed.  
  
“God, you piss me off sometimes.”  
  
“And you are just turning me on,” Matthew said, his voice low and raspy, which made Dominic swallow thickly.  
  
“Oh, don’t you dare.”  
  
“Just like old times, eh?”  
  
Matthew rolled his hips forward, brushing their groins together. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as a reluctant whimper escaped Dominic’s throat. He freed one hand from Dominic’s grasp and grabbed a fistful of Dominic’s hair, bringing his face closer before fusing their mouths.  
  
They kissed frantically, teeth biting and tongues clashing. Matthew pushed himself off the wall and steered Dominic towards the bedroom, not once breaking the kiss. When the back of Dominic’s knees hit the bed, Matthew pushed him onto the soft mattress. Dominic panted, looking up at Matthew through heavy lidded eyes. Matthew began undressing, shedding his clothes quickly, whilst Dominic’s hungry eyes drank in the sight of his naked body.  
  
“Clothes off. Now.” Matthew’s was voice was rough and demanding, and Dominic was happy to comply since his trousers were getting too tight anyway.  
  
As Dominic tossed his shirt aside, Matthew yanked away his trousers and boxers. Their eyes locked as Matthew straddled him, before bending down to kiss him deeply, slipping his tongue into his mouth. Dominic moaned as his hands slid down Matthew’s back to cup his arse. Matthew hummed appreciatively, pressing back into Dominic’s palms. He broke the kiss and held out his palm in front of Dominic’s face.  
  
Dominic’s eyes met sparkling blue ones as he licked Matthew’s palm. Holding his breath, he watched Matthew press their cocks together before wrapping his fingers around both of them. His head fell back and a moan rose from his throat as Matthew began moving slowly.  
  
“You feel so good, darling,” Matthew whispered.  
  
“Fuck, Matthew...” Dominic’s voice broke off as Matthew’s hips snapped faster.  
  
Dominic’s eyes flew open just in time to see Matthew gasp as he came all over his stomach. The sight of Matthew with his head thrown back, his face breaking into an expression of absolute bliss was enough to tip him over the edge, and soon he was coming all over Matthew’s fingers.  
  
He felt Matthew fall onto his chest and involuntarily, his arms came around him. He pressed a soft kiss on Matthew’s cheek, drawing out a sigh from the other man. Dominic smiled and tightened his arms around him as they lay entwined on the bed.


End file.
